Handmade ceramic bowls and homemade soups will be featured at Empty Bowls, the sixth annual fundraiser at Coastal Carolina University on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the courtyard of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. This event is free and open to the public, with purchase of a bowl encouraged.

This annual fundraising drop-in event benefits local charities that feed the homeless and those in need of food. Purchase of a ceramic bowl, handmade and glazed by CCU students and faculty, entitles patrons to unlimited free refills of a variety of homemade soups donated by visual arts faculty. Last year, the groups sold more than 100 bowls, raising $800 for Shepherd's Table in Conway and New Directions in Myrtle Beach. The annual event is hosted by CCU's Department of Visual Arts and its student organization, Chroma.

"Empty Bowls is an international humanitarian project, but its aims of alleviating hunger, increasing awareness of hunger-related social issues, and advocating for arts education are carried out on the local level by artists and art organizations," said Elizabeth Baltes, assistant professor of visual arts and event organizer. "This year, even more bowls will be available, and all proceeds will be donated to local hunger-fighting organizations to help fill the empty bowls in our own community."

Chroma is a CCU student art group focused on building bonds within the arts and implementing artistic creativity in a way that aids others and betters the community.

The Edwards Courtyard is located inside the Edwards Building at 133 Chanticleer Drive W. on the main Conway campus. For parking information, visit coastal.edu/safety/parking.

For more information on the event, contact Baltes at ebaltes@coastal.edu or 843-349-5036.